Modern hypodermic syringes are fabricated from a plurality of injection molded plastic parts. Each of the various parts are fabricated at different injection molding machines, each having a different speed of operation. Such fabricated parts are then fed along individual conveyors to an assembly machine or machines whereat the parts are assembled to thereby constitute a fabricated product for entry into the stream of commerce.
In an ideal situation, each of the molded parts would come off of its particular injection molding machine at a common rate of speed for being fed to the assembly machine by conveyors operating at the common rate of speed. The assembly machine would then assemble the parts at a rate of speed equal to the rate of speed of the individual injection molding machines and the conveyors. In such a situation, one injection molding machine for each part, would feed each part on a conveyor to one assembly machine, all at a common rate of speed.
Unfortunately, the rates of fabrication speed of injection molding machines vary one to another as functions of the types of components being fabricated. Such rates of speed are, further, not specifically correlated to the speeds of the assembly machines. As a result, it has been found preferable to utilize one or more injection molding machines for each of the various component parts as a function of the speed of fabrication and to feed the output of the various injection molding machines to the assembly machines in a consistent manner by conveyors in a programmed manner and at a speed which correlates to the speeds of the injection molding machines and the assembly machines.
The literature discloses various systems for feeding hypodermic syringe component parts as well as components for other assembled plastic items of commerce in a preprogrammed manner. Note, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,824,361 to Brown; 3,359,619 to Walkden and 3,588,985 to Shields wherein hypodermic syringe component parts are fed from injection molding machines to a common assembly machine. Consider also U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,214, to Aidlin et al., issued Apr. 18, 1989, wherein components of a plastic bottle are fed from injection molding machines to a common assembly machine. None of the prior devices, however, feed the component parts from pluralities of injection molding to a plurality of assembly machines in a preprogrammed fashion for maximum efficiency of the machinery.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and which constitutes an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the art.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for receiving a plurality of component parts of a hypodermic syringe, at least some of which are elongated with an enlarged end, from a plurality of molding machines and for conveying such parts in a programmed manner to a plurality of assembly machines including a plurality of conveyors each having a primary conveyor path for feeding parts from a molding machine and a plurality of secondary conveyor paths for feeding parts from a primary conveyor path to the assembly machines; diverter means between the primary conveyor path and secondary conveyor paths for directing parts to a preselected one of the secondary conveyors and to a preselected assembly machine; isolator means on a primary conveyor path to separate a predetermined number of parts from all other parts and to allow such separated parts to be fed as a group to the diverter means; and orienting means associated with at least some of the primary conveyor paths to move elongated parts in a hopper to a position at the input end of a primary conveyor path with the axes of the parts aligned in the direction of conveying.
It is a further object of the invention to feed hypodermic syringe parts from injection molding machines along conveyors to assembly machinery in a programmed manner to maximize the efficiency of the system.
Still further it is an object of the present invention to maximize the efficiency of injection molding machines and assembly machinery coupled together by conveyors and diverters in a systems configuration.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to assemble hypodermic syringes from component elements in a more convenient, efficient and economical manner.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.